Napoli president to offer Dries Mertens a lowered salary in renewal | OneFootball

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is willing to extend the contract of Dries Mertens but will not offer him his current salary.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli have decided to lower the annual salary of Dries Mertens in a potential contract extension. The Naples-based side looks to ease the onus off their wage bill, thus proposing a quarter of what the forward currently earns in Naples.

The report understands that if the Belgian signs the new deal at the Serie A club, he will be earning a wage of around €1million per year. The player is reportedly considering whether to accept it or not.

Mertens, now 35, is the all-time leading goalscorer of Napoli. From 395 appearances, the forward has scored 147 goals, subsequently becoming one of the most inspiring names for the club. Even this season, he has garnered 13 goals from 36 appearances in all competitions.

Signed by the Partenopei in 2013, the striker will mark his decade at the club next season. But his contract at Campania ends in June 2022, making him a free agent this summer.